Alumni Profile - Jawanda Jackson '10
March 2013One of the best parts about working at a college is you never know whom you may bump into when walking around the halls. A chance encounter allowed the opportunity to meet Jawanda Jackson ’10, while she was discussing her future academic plans for graduate school with one of the College’s administrators. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she went on to pursue a master’s degree at Michigan State University. In honor of Women’s HERstory month, please take a moment to read this profile of an alumna who has a bright future ahead within a non-traditional career field.
What year did you graduate from Delaware County Community College and with what degree?
I graduated from the College in May 2010 with an A.A.S. in Architectural Technology.”
Did you pursue further academic goals?
"Yes, after graduation I transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania to pursue a degree in Regional Planning. I graduated this past December with my bachelor’s degree. Many people are not sure exactly what Regional Planning is so I usually explain that Urban and Regional Planning is basically the study of how cities and communities grow and develop over time.”
What are you doing now?
"I am currently a graduate student at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, pursuing a master’s degree in Construction Management. It was hard to pick up and move farther west again, but it is a great school that should really help prepare me to find a job in my field.”
What are your future plans?
"After graduating from MSU, I hope to like to work as a project manager on mixed-use building projects.”
What advice would you give to current students and Alumni to make the most of the education they received from the College?
"I would advise students and alumni to make it a point to get connected with people and to identify and utilize the resources available to them where they are and wherever they go. Building relationships and knowing and using my resources has been a huge part of the success that I’ve had. I would advise students and alumni to have more conversations."
"Conversations reveal insights, options, and opportunities that you may not have been aware of beforehand. Conversations change things. I believe that it is important to stay connected and know your resources so that you have access to key people with whom you can converse. You never know when you will have a conversation that will reveal an opportunity that will change your life and set you on a new path. I know that it may sound a little mundane, but if you just take a moment to stop and think about some of the greatest opportunities that you’ve had, you will likely find that it began with a conversation. I think this is one of the best ways anyone can capitalize on the education that they receive from Delaware County Community College.”
